


the best gifts to give

by determination



Category: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynne Jones
Genre: Canon Autistic Character, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mentions of Christianity, split into chapters for easier readability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27883166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/determination/pseuds/determination
Summary: Over dinner, Chrestomanci, who had been wearing one of his vague expressions that showed he was thinking particularly hard about something, interrupted all conversation to say, “Why don’t we host a holiday party at the end of the month?”
Relationships: Cat Chant/Tonino Montana, Christopher Chant/Millie/Conrad Tesdinic, Janet Chant/Marianne Pinhoe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. so it begins

**Author's Note:**

> was gonna wait to post this until it was closer to christmas but the longer i sit on it the more i dislike it, so i guess i'm just gonna post it now u__u  
> i guess i'm a sap for holiday fics? this ended up a lot longer than i originally planned,, hopefully it's enjoyable and not too esoteric lol;;  
> as always, please no criticism or critiques.

Over dinner, Chrestomanci, who had been wearing one of his vague expressions that showed he was thinking particularly hard about something, interrupted all conversation to say, “Why don’t we host a holiday party at the end of the month?” His statement was met by stunned silence, until Millie grinned and clapped her hands together.

“That’s a splendid idea,” she said. “It’s been far too long since the old ballroom saw any use.”

“That’s what happens when we’re kept busy,” Michael Saunders said, chuckling. “It would be nice to see that room full of people again.”

“We could invite the Pinhoes!” Janet said, looking excited. 

“Indeed,” Chrestomanci raised a brow. “I was also thinking about extending an invitation to the Montanas and Petrocchis.” His dark eyes landed on Cat, whose heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Montana name. “Would you like that, Cat?”

“Um,” Cat said ineloquently. He did not like being put on the spot. He wanted to pretend he didn’t know why Chrestomanci had singled him out. If he thought about seeing Tonino again, his chest felt very odd and fluttery. Swallowing hard, he muttered, “I think that would be fine,” and determinedly focused on finishing the rest of the food on his plate. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chrestomanci grin. 

“If the Italian spell-houses are to come, we’d better alter our usual dinner repertoire,” Millie said thoughtfully. “I shall have a word with the kitchen staff. Do you know what Italians usually eat at Christmas?”

“I suppose I shall have to ask when I give them our invitation,” Chrestomanci said, unbothered.


	2. decorations and a discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the children decorate the playroom, discuss the holiday and religion, and Cat thinks about Tonino. it won't be the first time.

Cat was exceedingly glad winter had arrived. The temperature in the castle didn’t change, but every time he looked out the windows, he could see snow starting to pile up, coating the castle grounds in a lovely blanket of white. 

And there were decorations. If he had thought Chrestomanci Castle went overboard with decorating for Halloween, it was with absolute delight that he learned they went just as if not more overboard for Christmas. There were colorful fairy lights all around the castle, in the halls and lining the stairs and in most rooms, too, giving the castle a warm glow wherever you went. In many of the larger rooms there were white and green trees covered in glittery ornaments and garlands, and displays of little snow-coated towns and holiday related characters that Cat recognized from carols and books. 

In the playroom, there was a miniature tree and a box of decorations beside it, which the children could pick from. Cat was very pleased to find his favorite sorts of ornaments among the options: snowmen with scarves and cute little faces, snowflakes that glittered and were a pleasant texture to touch, and orbs with intricate patterns in red and green and white and gold. He and the other children spent a lovely evening picking what they wanted for the tree and decorating it, and Cat was even happier that the others seemed to pick up on his enjoyment and asked his opinion about where an ornament should go, or if the colored lights were crooked, or if they should add one of the holly garland strands. Then, when they were done, they narrowly managed to stop Klartch from knocking the whole thing down. He didn’t seem to understand that the tree was meant to be decorative, and wasn’t something to play with. 

“It’s for the holiday,” Cat told Klartch, panting with the effort it had taken for the group of them to stop the griffin from wreaking havoc. “Not a toy!”

“Holiday?” Klartch repeated curiously. He finally stopped trying to climb the tree and sat down unceremoniously on Cat’s legs, where he was much too heavy and made Cat wince. “What’s that?”

“Christmas!” Julia said with enthusiasm. “Technically it’s a religious holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, but it’s become rather commercial over the years.” Klartch looked especially lost. “Er…” Julia faltered and looked to the others. “I don’t think it’s really meant to make sense to a griffin. And I’m not great at explaining.”

“Our family isn’t that religious anyway, so it doesn’t matter,” Roger laughed. “Christmas is just a fun time with lots of delicious food!”

Klartch’s eyes widened with interest. “Food is good. Then I think I will like this Christmas holiday.”

Janet looked relieved by Roger’s explanation. “I was a little worried by how zealous the decorating was,” she said, “so I thought I might feel out of place. I’m not religious at all, you see. But if you aren’t, either, then I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

“Oh yes, it’s much more of an aesthetic thing,” Julia giggled. “Mummy doesn’t believe in that sort of thing. And I don’t think Daddy does either, but he doesn’t really talk about it. I’m indifferent, if it really counts.” 

Janet looked perplexed. “Then why do you all go to church every Sunday?”

“... Because it’s proper, I guess?” Roger frowned and shrugged. “I never really thought about it.” 

Cat was also thankful the family wasn’t particularly devout. He assumed they must have been, but now that he considered it, apart from Chrestomanci’s occasional mutterings of, “Good Lord,” or “merciful heavens,” when something bad happened, the family had never said or done anything very religious. They didn’t say grace or do prayers, and no one talked about God or Jesus or the bible. Cat had never really felt any attachment to religion, either. He wasn’t quite sure why he enjoyed Christmas so much, that being the case.

Maybe it was because the holiday felt so warm and merry. Cat had always loved how the decorations looked, even when Gwendolen used to mock him for his interest. And celebrations felt so homey and welcome, as well. Cat had fond memories of eating delicious food and reveling in the jolly atmosphere of Christmas get-togethers. And on top of that, he loved winter and snow in general. The season was all around his favorite. 

“You seem happy,” Klartch commented, shifting off of Cat’s lap to get a better look at his face. “You must really like this Christmas holiday.”

“I do,” Cat said, smiling. 

“That makes me happy!” Janet exclaimed. She knelt behind Cat and wrapped her arms around him. “You’re usually pretty reserved about your interests. I like seeing you get excited!” 

Cat’s chest twisted with a mixture of discomfort and joy. On the one hand, he knew his reservedness was partially a result of Gwendolen incessantly making fun of anything he openly liked, and he didn’t like having attention called to his behavior. On the other hand, though, Janet had been nothing but kind to him, and he was very touched by her vocal support. 

He fought his urge to go quiet and instead lifted his arms to return her hug. “Thanks,” he mumbled. 

Klartch made a happy noise and proceeded to launch himself at both of them, knocking them over. Cat groaned but couldn’t help laughing. “I like seeing you happy too!” The griffin said. “Christmas holiday feels very happy! I like it too!”

“We haven’t even gotten to Christmas day yet,” Roger snorted. Klartch’s eyes widened and he got up to sit in front of Roger, evidently curious. “Christmas day is still a few weeks from now. You’ll have to wait a bit.”

Klartch gave a sad griffin frown. “I am not good at waiting.”

“I’m not either,” Cat laughed. “But that’s okay. It’ll be well worth the wait.” Especially if Tonino would be coming. Cat could hardly wait to spend his favorite holiday with his favorite person.

That thought gave him pause. Was Tonino his favorite person? The thought had come so naturally, but Cat wasn’t sure how you were supposed to tell. He did know that Tonino felt different than anyone else. He made Cat’s heart feel strange, like it didn’t remember how to beat properly, and Cat was always so happy when Tonino replied to his letters. He’d missed Tonino ever since they’d parted ways in France. He wondered if Tonino missed him too, though he never had the courage to say anything when he was writing his next letter.

“Is Cat okay?” Klartch asked. “Why is his face so red?”

“Good question,” Janet murmured. “Cat?”

But Cat wasn’t listening. He was too busy thinking about Tonino.


	3. an unexpected arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conrad and Chrestomanci make Cat wonder.

Cat was beginning to think his brain was the problem. With regard to Tonino, absolutely. But at the moment he was laboring to figure out the answers to the Theory-related questions Chrestomanci had asked him. Chrestomanci seemed to think the answers should be easy to find, but Cat struggled all the same. Cat thought he struggled because his brain just didn’t work with theory. No matter how Cat tried to understand, he couldn’t make sense of it. At first, he wondered if he might just be stupid, but he didn’t believe he was. 

His mind just worked differently.

He also wondered if that was why he couldn’t stop thinking about Tonino, too. He never did seem able to do things in moderation. When something interested him or made him happy, he would fixate on it. And apparently Tonino made him very happy, because Cat had been unable to think of much else since Chrestomanci had brought up the idea for the holiday party. He didn’t know why. 

“Distractible, aren’t we,” Chrestomanci said. Cat realized with a start that he’d been sitting there in silence for a while now, having offered no response to the problem Chrestomanci had given him. He opened his mouth to apologise, but to his surprise, Chrestomanci didn’t look annoyed. He rather looked amused, sitting across from Cat with a vague little grin on his face. Cat didn’t understand that, either. Was Chrestomanci like Magic Theory? Bother. If everything was like Theory, it would be a miracle if Cat could ever understand anything. 

Chrestomanci released a chuckle and shook his head. “Perhaps we’d better continue this another time. I can see your mind is elsewhere.”

“I’m sorry,” Cat started to say, but there was a knock at the door to the study.

Chrestomanci frowned and called, “Yes? If this is about the party cuisine, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a bit longer.”

“Fortunately it’s not,” said a voice Cat hadn’t heard in a while. He looked back at the doorway and found Conrad Tesdinic standing there, grinning at Chrestomanci. “Hallo, Christopher. Oh, and Cat, too!” He smiled at Cat, and Cat smiled politely back.

For a second, Chrestomanci’s eyes were as round as saucers. Cat couldn’t recall ever seeing him so surprised. “Grant, my dear fellow, what the devil are you doing here?” Chrestomanci’s shock quickly gave way to playful affection, and he got up from his desk to stride across the room to greet Conrad. He caught Conrad by the elbow and pulled him in for a brief peck on the lips. Cat felt a jolt watching the display. He’d forgotten that Conrad was Chrestomanci’s husband, like Millie was Chrestomanci’s wife. 

“I,” Conrad said, grinning cheekily, “am on vacation.”

“You say that as if it’s some sort of revelation. You usually take a vacation this time of year,” Chrestomanci said with a short laugh. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would have met you when you arrived.”

“And lose the opportunity to surprise you? It’s like you don’t know me at all,” Conrad snickered. “But in fairness, I also hoped to help decorate the castle for the holiday. Please tell me you all haven’t already finished decorating, or I may die of heartbreak.”

Chrestomanci rolled his eyes. “You’re in luck, you melodramatic sap. As it happens, there are still plenty of decorations left to put up. You might be aware that this castle is too large for its own good.”

Cat quietly observed the couple, thinking and processing. Something about their interactions made him wonder. Boys could like boys, that much he knew. It had been strange to consider at first because Cat had only ever known that boys liked girls, but seeing how natural Chrestomanci and Conrad behaved, Cat had grown accustomed to the idea. 

Was it possible that’s how he felt about Tonino? Was that why Cat couldn’t stop thinking about him? No, the part of his brain that fixated on things in general told him that wasn’t the cause, at least not fully. Part of it was simply that Tonino made him happy, and anything that made Cat happy was something his brain fixated on. But perhaps this might still go some ways toward explaining why Cat’s heart behaved the way it did when he thought about Tonino. 

Did he want to be with Tonino in that way, the way Chrestomanci and Conrad were together? How was he supposed to know? Cat had thought if he ever got into a relationship with someone, it would probably be someone like Irene, but he’d never really stopped to think what that meant or why he’d thought it needed to be with a girl. Tonino was every bit as sweet and angelic as Irene, and Tonino was much, much closer to Cat’s age than Irene was. 

If he and Tonino became a couple… Cat trembled at the thought. Would they hold hands? Surely they would cuddle. That sounded so pleasant that Cat almost smiled. And they could… Kiss… 

Cat blushed brightly. He’d never thought about kissing anyone before. How did it feel? Was it pleasant? He rather wanted to try it. His throat felt very dry as he tried picturing kissing Tonino.

Actually… Perhaps he did like Tonino that way. 

“Oh, Cat,” Chrestomanci said, belatedly remembering Cat was still there. Cat wasn’t the least bit surprised or offended, as Chrestomanci tended to forget his surroundings whenever Conrad was there, and he had appreciated the time it had given him to think. “Feel free to go. We’re done for now.”

Cat simply nodded and got up. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.


	4. hard at work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> learning Italian is difficult when your energetic griffin friend keeps trying to get your attention.

Sitting on his bed, Cat fervently poured over the book he’d borrowed from the library. He kept reading and rereading certain words and phrases, sounding them out and hoping he was getting the pronunciation correct.

“What are you doing?” Klartch asked, coming to sit by the edge of the bed.

“Practicing Italian,” Cat replied without looking up. 

Klartch blinked at him. “What’s Italian?” 

“It’s another language,” Cat said. He felt guilty for being slightly annoyed that Klartch was interrupting him. It was difficult to process what he was doing while distracted, and his brain was very determined to keep working. 

“Another language? There’s more than just English?” Klartch muttered, wide-eyed.

“Yes,” Cat nodded. “There’s hundreds if not thousands of them. People speak different languages in different parts of the world.”

Klartch looked distressed to learn this. “That’s a lot of languages. You don’t plan to practice them all, do you?”

Cat sighed and finally looked up from his book. “No,” he shook his head, “I can barely handle one.” That was another thing his brain didn’t seem capable of doing. It very much did not want to retain most of the Italian he had been reading, and that was not alright with him. He’d started learning Italian when Tonino had been staying at the castle. He needed to learn at least a little more, or he’d never let himself live it down. 

“Then why are you practicing this Italian?” Klartch asked, bewildered. Cat gulped. He didn’t know how to explain it in a way that wasn’t just him blatantly saying that he wanted to impress Tonino. Did griffins understand what human feelings were like? Regardless, Cat knew he wouldn’t be able to describe it even if he tried.

“Does it matter?” Cat grumbled. He really wanted to get back to work now. “Can you go see if Janet or Julia or Roger will play with you? I’m busy.”

Klartch looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded. “Okay. Good luck with your practicing Italian!”

Cat didn’t lift his head this time. He felt guilty, but he didn’t think he could have paused what he was doing without getting very irritable and moody. He’d make it up to Klartch later, he decided. For now, he was going to do his best to learn how to greet people in Italian.


	5. a letter and a question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat reads and responds to Tonino's latest letter.

Cat was enjoying holiday cookies and tea with the other children when Euphemia the maid brought in a letter for him. She said one of the footmen had been carrying it, and seeing as she was already bringing a refill for drinks, she would deliver it instead. Cat couldn’t hide his enthusiasm as he accepted the letter and glimpsed that it was from Tonino. He could barely wait to read it. So, telling the others he would see them later, he took one more cookie and scurried off to his room so he could have some privacy.

Settling comfortably on his bed, he began to read. Tonino’s familiar scrawl brought a smile to his face.

_ Cat _ , Tonino wrote,  _ I have had wonderful news. Chrestomanci came and said that the entire Casa Montana is invited to a holiday party at Chrestomanci Castle! Of course, not everyone can come because we need some family to remain behind and make sure nothing goes wrong in Caprona. But do not worry, my mother and I will definitely be there! _ Here was confirmation that he would see Tonino, and soon at that, with the party only two weeks away.  _ Aunt Gina was so particular with the list she gave Chrestomanci about what food we make for Christmas dinner, _ Tonino continued.  _ She spent at least half an hour on it! Chrestomanci looked very vague when she gave it to him. I hope that list does not cause too many problems for him.  _

Cat shook his head and laughed to himself. He was certain that dinner would be a sight to see in the end. And delicious, too. Cat wasn’t very picky about food, though some textures and flavors didn’t agree with him, but Italian food was very good, so he rather believed he would enjoy whatever went into the meal. 

Tonino went on to reply to Cat’s last letter, as well as to detail some funny thing or other that had happened at the Casa Montana. Cat was very warm and comfortable as he got to the end of the letter, at which point his heart began to race.  _ By the way _ , Tonino wrote,  _ is there anything you would like for Christmas, Cat? _ This question was followed by a number of crossed out lines that were so thick and heavy that there was no hope of salvaging what had been written. Cat frowned and ran his fingers over them curiously. Following the crossed out section, Tonino went on,  _ There is something I would like, but I do not want to bother you. At present, I just want to see you at the party. I am very much looking forward to it! _

Cat’s frown deepened. That was not asking for very much, as they would be seeing each other regardless. It wouldn’t make for a very good Christmas gift, not at all. But what had Tonino written that he’d so determinedly crossed out? Had he started to explain what he really wanted, but had changed his mind? It’s not like Cat was without means. He rather thought if Tonino had wanted something worth money, Cat could ask Millie and she would help him purchase it without asking any questions. Maybe Tonino felt bad to ask for a gift. Well, that wasn’t very fair, if he got to ask what Cat wanted but wouldn’t say what he wanted in return. If Cat gave him a gift idea, it would turn into a lousy gift exchange when Tonino was the only one who brought a gift.

Cat sighed and pursed his lips. He wasn’t very good at coming up with gift ideas. Tonino was an avid reader, so books seemed like a good place to start, but Cat had no idea what books Tonino had and hadn’t read. He would feel worse if he picked something that Tonino already owned. 

He’d just have to ask. Hopefully Tonino would give him something to work with before the day of the party. Cat clambered out of bed and hurried to the desk in the corner of his room. Putting much thought into his response, he went down Tonino’s letter, making sure he answered every part with adequate care. Then he sat and stared at the paper in front of him and tried desperately to think of something he wanted for Christmas. His mind was blank. There wasn’t anything in particular he wanted. He’d been able to buy most things he wanted with the allowance they gave him at the castle. Perhaps something that money couldn’t buy, then? But he didn’t want to put Tonino on the spot or ask for something ridiculous. He was starting to understand why Tonino had said the only thing he wanted was to see Cat at the party. Cat thought maybe the only thing he wanted was to see Tonino, too.

Cat put his quill to the page, then stopped and considered. Actually, there was one thing he could think of. It wasn’t monetary, and didn’t feel like he was asking for too much. He blushed lightly. Truthfully, he really liked Tonino’s singing. When Tonino had stayed at the castle, he’d only ever sung when he used magic, and Cat remembered with perfect clarity how sweet and lovely Tonino’s voice had been, quiet with nerves but perfectly in tune. Cat remembered thinking he could listen to Tonino sing for hours. Would Tonino be willing to sing for him, if he asked? It was Christmas, after all, and there were numerous carols and choral arrangements to choose from. Even just one or two would make Cat immensely happy.

Taking a deep breath, Cat started to write his request. It was difficult to get himself to commit. He wasn’t used to asking for things, and he wasn’t sure how to phrase it without sounding silly or selfish. Was that okay? Tonino wouldn’t be annoyed or bothered by that, would he? 

At length, he sat back and looked at what he had written and tried not to be too embarrassed.  _ As for a Christmas gift _ , read the glistening ink,  _ would you please sing something for me? I’m a fan of Christmas carols. Even if it’s only a few lines, I would like to hear you sing. _ Cat bit his lip. It didn’t sound desperate, did it? He really hoped Tonino wouldn’t mind. He held back another sigh, added a quick,  _ Write me back and tell me what you want, I promise it won’t bother me _ , then fetched an envelope. There was still some time until dinner. If he left soon, he could post the letter and be back in time to eat.


	6. ballroom revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat learns some things about Janet.

The ballroom was massive. Cat hadn’t realized there was such a large room in Chrestomanci castle, even with how enormous the castle was. The ballroom had to be as big as a small house at least, and looked as regal as a church. This would certainly work for hosting a party, he thought. He and Janet had come to help clean things up and decorate for the party, but there seemed little for them to do. Even Jason and Irene had stopped by to help, the latter of whom was delighted to see Cat, stooping to hug him and Janet and thank them personally for inviting her to the holiday party.

“We weren’t in charge of the invitations,” Cat started to say, but Irene wasn’t listening, instead getting called away to help choose where the poinsettias should be hung on the walls. Cat sighed, but couldn’t help smiling. She hadn’t changed at all. 

“Charming lady, that Irene,” Janet commented casually. Cat gave her a look. She seemed to be well over her dislike of Irene, which was perfectly fine in Cat’s book. He’d never understood why Janet and Julia had been so upset about Jason and Irene getting married, anyway. It made much more sense to fall in love with someone your own age. Janet averted her gaze and pretended not to notice his stare. “I bet she’s said that to everyone she’s seen. Still, you can’t fault her for being nice. Brightens the room, you know.” Cat did know. Irene was so warm and positive, complimenting all the decorations and helping direct where they should go. It was difficult not to feel happy just by watching her. 

“Didn’t you fancy her for a short while?” Janet asked, eyeing him. 

Cat made a face. “Not really,” he shrugged. “She’s too old for me. And besides, I don’t think I fancy girls.” He jumped a little when Janet made a loud noise and grabbed him by the shoulders, looking very intense. He worried he’d said something wrong, but he realized after a second that she was actually absolutely elated. 

“You, too??” Janet said. “Oh, thank  _ God _ , not that I believe in him. Maybe we were meant to be siblings, Cat.” 

Cat was quite confused. He stared at her, waiting for an explanation, but she just let him go to watch Klartch bound across the expansive ballroom floor. He would have barreled some tables over if Conrad hadn’t grabbed hold of him in time. “What do you mean?” Cat asked, a bit exasperated. 

“Oh, sorry,” Janet said sheepishly. “I got ahead of myself. It’s just, I’ve done a lot of thinking over the past few months, and I came to the conclusion that I don’t actually fancy men, that’s all. Girls are much better. So you see, we’re the same!” 

This was not what Cat expected. So she meant they were the same because Cat liked boys, and she liked girls? He stared at her, even more confused than before. “But… Then why were you so upset about Jason before?” 

Janet shrugged, unperturbed. “I don’t know. I was performing gender and attraction the way I believed I was supposed to, I guess.” From her language, Cat could tell she’d been reading books he couldn’t hope to understand. That was fine. He wasn’t sure he cared. “Anyway, I’m completely over it. Girls are the best. Boys will only break your heart.” She said it so frankly that Cat found himself worried.

“They will?” he asked nervously. Did that mean Tonino would break his heart? He really hoped not.

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant,” Janet hastily amended, patting his shoulder. “It’s different for girls, you see.” He didn’t, but there was little point in saying so. He nodded, and they both silently watched Conrad dash madly after Klartch, who had somehow managed to tangle multiple strands of fairy lights around his legs and neck and was running across the ballroom in an ecstatic frenzy.

“You could help him, you know,” Chrestomanci said from beside them. Cat started, not having noticed him arrive, and looked up, ready to defend himself. But he found Chrestomanci looked mightily amused. He seemed to be enjoying watching Conrad run around the ballroom trying to stop Klartch from destroying any of the decorations. 

“You could, too,” Janet said, suppressing a grin. 

“Indeed,” Chrestomanci said. He made no move to do so. 

“Say,” Janet said and turned to him curiously, “Since this is a ballroom, does that mean there will be dancing at the party?” 

Chrestomanci looked away from Conrad, who had managed to coax Klartch away from a box of glass ornaments by holding out some food, to give Janet a bewildered look. “Do you want to dance?” he asked. 

Janet flushed and looked down at her skirt. “Er, I’m not sure. I don’t really know any dances. I was just wondering.”

“There might be,” Chrestomanci shrugged. “Though I’m not sure if a week and a half is enough time to learn. You might try asking Julia. I believe she has memorized a few.” Janet opened her mouth to protest, but Chrestomanci was already walking away toward where Millie was planning what food would go where at the far end of the room. 

“Cheeky,” Janet huffed. “ _ There might be _ . As if he’s not the party planner and can choose what goes on!” She sighed and folded her arms across her chest, tapping a boot on the hard floor. “... You don’t reckon we should actually learn, do you?” 

Cat rather didn’t want to. He knew he was wretchedly clumsy and would never be able to remember the steps. Besides, he’d wanted to spend as much time as he could practicing Italian, and having to learn dancing would be an unnecessary distraction. “I think we can just choose not to dance,” he said, frowning. “... Do you want to?”

Janet flushed again, brighter this time and made a frustrated sound. “Well… No, not really. But what if Marianne can dance? It would be dreadful to miss the opportunity to dance with her! Ugh, I feel I shall make a fool of myself either way.”

“Marianne?” Cat repeated with furrowed brows. “Why would you want to dance with her?” He thought about it a little more, and put that together with Janet’s earlier admission about her preference for girls. “Then, do you fancy Marianne?”

If possible, Janet went as red as the poinsettias. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, swallowed hard, then hid her red face behind her hands and squeaked, “You can’t just ask me that, Cat! It’s… It’s undignified!” 

“Ask her what?” Julia asked. She came up to them eating one of the pretty iced sugar cookies that had been set out on one of the tables, and peered at Janet with interest.

Cat tried to think of something to say that wasn’t incriminating. Janet simply groaned and threw herself at Julia, who nearly dropped her cookie in surprise. “Julia, please teach me how to dance!” Janet whined. 

“What?” Julia said, baffled. Janet clung to her and gave her puppy dog eyes. 

Cat took the opportunity to abandon them and made a beeline for the cookies. If he wasn’t going to be doing any decorating, he might as well take some spoils and head back to his room to work on his Italian. He paused at the table, though, studied the icing, and thought. 

If there was dancing at the party… Would Tonino know any dances? Would Tonino be willing to dance with him? Blush creeped along Cat’s cheeks. He tried to picture what that would be like, but quickly felt overwhelmed. No, not happening. There was no way Cat had the coordination for dancing. He could only hope that Tonino was as hopeless at it as he would likely be.


	7. curiosity, and a dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat ponders Tonino's vague letter.

Tonino’s response to Cat’s letter came just days before the party. Everyone was busy with preparations, so it didn’t surprise Cat when the letter turned up at his room late in the evening, with apologies about forgetting to bring it to him. Cat didn’t mind especially. His heart raced as he sat on his bed and opened it. This letter was significantly shorter than the last, not even taking up half of the page. 

_Cat_ , Tonino wrote, _thank you very much for your gift idea! I would love to sing carols for you. Please tell me your favorites when we see each other. I will sing whichever you like!_ Cat beamed. He should have known Tonino would receive the request in earnest. Now he was even more excited for the party. Tonino went on to say that he had chosen not to include more since they would be seeing one another so soon and would have the chance to discuss such things in person, and Cat agreed with that. No need to send wordy letters when they would be able to chat face to face. Cat breathed deeply. He really could not wait to see Tonino. 

The end of the letter caught him off guard, though. Tonino finished by saying, _I am pleased that you do not think my wish will bother you. Perhaps I will find the courage to ask for it during the party. At that time, I hope you will not change your mind. Anyway, I cannot wait for this party, and I look forward to seeing you soon!_ Cat reread the words fervently, hoping to glean something helpful or uncover something he’d missed. There was nothing to find. He stared at the letter and wished he were more clever. 

What did Tonino mean by not telling him in the letter? Was it something Cat could give him at a moment’s notice? Words perhaps? Or maybe there was a spell he wanted Cat to use? Cat couldn’t understand, and that frustrated him. He wanted to be prepared. He wanted to make sure he could make Tonino happy, by any means necessary. It was difficult to do that with Tonino being so vague. Cat sighed. 

Maybe he could ask Janet- no, it would be better not to. She’d spent the past week passionately learning the dances Julia knew, which meant she was tired and had little patience for much else. That, and if Cat thought about telling Janet how he felt about Tonino, he got very hot in the face. He was too embarrassed. Now he rather understood why Janet had been so flustered when he asked her about Marianne. 

There wasn’t anything else Cat could do, then. He hoped Tonino would keep his word. He didn’t like thinking that he might get to hear Tonino’s lovely voice in exchange for nothing. It would be taking advantage of him, or something like that. Tonino could be rather meek, he supposed, so he knew Tonino would likely have to work extra hard to find the confidence to ask for what he wanted. Cat would have to make up for it and gently encourage him. Yes, that might work. As long as Cat didn’t let it go, he’d be able to make sure Tonino didn’t sing in vain. 

He smiled and nodded. Then his smile vanished when he belatedly remembered he’d meant to see if Chrestomanci was free so he could have Chrestomanci evaluate his accent. Chrestomanci’s Italian was quite exceptional, and as reluctant as Cat was to speak Italian in front of someone else, especially Chrestomanci, he was much more scared of making a fool of himself in front of the Italian spell-houses by saying something wrong. He shuddered. It might get Tonino to laugh, which was a pleasant thought, but Cat would never live it down. He really wanted to leave a good impression on Tonino’s family. 

_Tonino’s family._ Cat’s eyes widened. He knew he would be meeting Tonino’s mother, at least. Would Tonino’s father and brother and sisters come too? That was a lot of people to potentially meet. And disappoint. Indeed, Cat really wanted to make a good first impression. He made his decision, nodded, and got up, abandoning the letter. He hesitated at the door, then turned back and grabbed the book he’d been using to practice. He was fairly sure he had memorized all the phrases he intended to use, but it seemed a good idea to bring it just in case he needed a refresher.

Book in hand, he wandered upstairs, rather hopeful that Chrestomanci would be in his study at this time of day. The room was empty when he got there, to his dismay, and looked to have been empty for some time. Cat sighed. He didn’t want to summon Chrestomanci for something so trivial. Perhaps he should try the ballroom instead, since most of the preparations had been conducted there. He could imagine Chrestomanci still lingering there, ensuring everything was going smoothly.

So Cat trudged back downstairs, clutching his Italian book and repeating the important phrases in his head to make sure he knew them. He saw a familiar face as he reached the landing. There was someone who would no doubt know where Chrestomanci was. “Hallo, Mr. Roberts,” he said, approaching the man. “Are you here to help prepare for the party?”

Mr. Roberts grinned when he spotted Cat and raised a hand in greeting. “I guess you could say that. Seems like most preparations have already been taken care of, though. Good to see you, lad.” He clapped Cat on the shoulder. “You look well. From what I’ve heard, things have been changed a lot since the last time I was here. It’s nice to see everyone in such high spirits.” 

Cat nodded. Indeed, much had changed. It was probably all the new dwimmer that stuck out to Mr. Roberts, but Cat didn’t feel like explaining that at the moment. “Do you know where Chrestomanci is?” he asked instead.

“Oh, he’s in the ballroom. It’s a lovely sight, really,” Mr. Roberts chuckled. Cat frowned, confused. “If you’re needing him, you should go and take a look. Don’t let me keep you.” Cat shrugged, thanked him and went on to the ballroom. 

When he walked in, he understood what Mr. Roberts had meant. He found the room mostly empty, apart from Chrestomanci, Millie, and Conrad, who were dancing together in the center. They looked very peaceful and happy. Chrestomanci was wearing an uncharacteristically soft, affectionate smile, and it made him look more human than Cat had ever seen him. Cat did not have the heart to interrupt. He stood off to the side of the room, watching them dance and feeling rather soft himself. These were three people who clearly meant the world to each other, he thought. They had spent years and years together, coming to understand one another, and had grown intimately close. 

Cat found himself fascinated. It must be nice, to have that sort of relationship. He wondered if, somewhere down the line, perhaps he and Tonino could reach that point. He blushed faintly. That would be nice. Maybe being Chrestomanci himself wouldn’t be so bad if he had Tonino at his side. Now there was a thought that made his heart flutter.

“Cat!” Millie’s voice startled Cat, and he realized belatedly that the trio had stopped dancing and were looking his way. Millie beckoned Cat over, smiling. He bit his lip and crossed the room. “You should have said something, my dear. We didn’t notice you come in.”

“I didn’t want to bother you,” Cat mumbled.

“You’re not bothering us. We were finishing up. Or at least, we should have been,” Conrad chuckled. “Did you need something?”

Cat looked to Chrestomanci and suddenly felt very small and uncertain. But he had to be assertive here, or he would undoubtedly look an utter fool at the party. “Er,” he said shyly, “I was wondering if you could listen to my Italian. I’ve been practicing and I want to make sure it’s passable.”

“Italian, hm?” One of Chrestomanci’s brows raised in a knowing way that made Cat’s cheeks heat up. Cat was sure there were a number of things Chrestomanci could say that would embarrass him. But Chrestomanci simply nodded. “Of course. Come, we can go to my study. That will be more suitable than a ballroom, at any rate.”

He leaned over and kissed both Millie and Conrad on the cheek, which made Millie giggle. “You’re not usually so romantic, Christopher,” she said, beaming at him. 

“What can I say,” Chrestomanci grinned back. “Holiday spirit, perhaps.” Conrad snorted and rolled his eyes.

The four went separate ways after that, with Cat and Chrestomanci going upstairs to the study. 

To Cat’s utter relief, Chrestomanci was impressed by his Italian and had little to offer in way of improvement. When Cat went to leave, feeling much more confident, Chrestomanci said, offhandedly, “Tonino will be pleased to hear you speak his first language, I’m sure.” 

Cat blushed all the way back to his room.


	8. reunions, introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's time for the party, and gratuitous clothing descriptions (because why not).

The day of the party finally arrived. Cat couldn’t decide if it felt too soon, or if the wait had been too long. Chrestomanci Castle was buzzing with activity, finishing preparations and fixing decorations and making sure that the food would be ready in time. Cat was indescribably nervous, but he was giddy with excitement, as well. He rather liked this atmosphere. It felt so merry and full of warmth and good cheer. He tried to find something to occupy the time with, at least until guests arrived, but it was useless. There was nothing left to do that the adults hadn’t already seen to, so Cat had little choice but to stand around and wait in the ballroom. He hated waiting.

He was soon joined by the other children, who seemed equally anxious for the party to begin. They were dressed for the occasion. Julia’s dress was a lovely brown with white fringe that looked like icing and colorful buttons and lace that put Cat in mind of a gingerbread house. Janet had opted for a black dress with a puffy skirt that was decorated with evergreen trees and snowbanks, and a red stole with white fur trim hung around her shoulders. Roger was more plainly dressed, in a simple black suit with a red dress shirt. Cat himself didn’t own anything specifically holiday themed, so he’d settled on a green suit over a white shirt with gold cuffs, and a red tie. It worked well enough, but Cat thought the colors didn’t look good on him, and he felt more like he was wearing a costume than properly dressed for the season.

He didn’t have much time to dwell on his clothes, though. The Pinhoes arrived first, early and eager to assist with the preparations. Even Marianne’s Gaffer had gotten wind of the celebration and turned up. Klartch was more than happy to join Molly the Unicorn outside on the grounds (particularly when he was promised food for not getting underfoot). Marianne and Joe joined the growing group of children. Marianne wore a charming plain green dress with white lace ruffles and collar, and red and white pinstripe stockings. Meanwhile, Joe was dressed similarly to Roger, in a basic suit over a green dress shirt. It seemed neither cared much about overly dressing up for the occasion.

“You look amazing,” Janet told Marianne, and blushed a bit. 

Marianne giggled. “Thank you,” she said, grinning. “Your dress is so lovely, Janet.” And that made Janet blush brighter. 

Chrestomanci greeted everyone in a luxurious white satin suit that seemed to sparkle like freshly fallen snow, and a neck ruffle that bore resemblance to a holly bush. Anyone else might have looked silly, but he somehow managed to look both elegant and incredibly dignified. Cat was more than a little envious. 

On Chrestomanci’s right stood Conrad, wearing an embroidered holiday sweater and white slacks. On Chrestomanci’s left was Millie, who looked as if she were the goddess of winter herself. Like Chrestomanci she wore all white. Her dress had hints of red, and hung off her shoulders where the thick fabric switched to something sheer and clung to her arms like frost. The bustle was long and embroidered with intricate snowflakes as your eyes neared the bottom of it. Cat could see Janet, Julia, and Marianne all admiring the dress with shining eyes. 

As food was being brought in, the Petrocchis arrived. Cat immediately felt himself tense up. He recognized them by the ginger hair he remembered Tonino saying they had. If they were here, the Montanas couldn’t be far behind. And that meant Tonino. He could barely contain the mixture of anxiety and excitement that was buzzing around inside him. 

The room was beginning to feel fuller. Cat recalled Tonino explaining that the spellhouse families were very large. Add to that the number of Pinhoes, and it was definitely looking more like a party. Cat allowed himself to get distracted until he spied a woman with fair hair entering the ballroom. His eyes instantly went to the boy by her side.

Cat’s whole body thrummed with excitement when he saw Tonino. When he considered it, how he felt now was such a stark contrast to his initial opinion of the boy that he would have laughed if he wasn’t already expending all of his energy into staying calm to remember what he’d been practicing. 

Taking a deep breath, Cat strode across the room and greeted Tonino’s family. He almost lost his voice when he saw how sweet Tonino looked dressed in his red and green tartan jacket and white trousers. He felt his cheeks grow rosy as Tonino stared at him with sparkling eyes and broke into a wide grin.

“Your accent is wonderful!” Tonino said, and threw his arms around Cat in a tight hug. “It is so good to see you, Cat!”

“I’ve been practicing,” Cat mumbled. “And, er, likewise.” He was already warm because of his nerves, and Tonino’s grip around him made him feel even warmer. He almost wished he’d chosen a different outfit to wear, maybe one with short sleeves. That, and he felt he looked a little silly next to how good Tonino looked. As usual, Tonino was better than him. 

“Tonino!” Janet’s voice came from behind the two of them, and before either boy could do much more than separate, she and Julia and Roger had rushed over and all crowded around Tonino, evidently happy to see him. Cat was a little annoyed by the interruption, and that made him ashamed. It’s not like he was entitled to Tonino. 

Marianne came up beside Cat, peering at Tonino with interest. She blushed a little as she asked, “Who’s the cute Italian boy?” 

Cat tried not to be sullen. He knew all of the girls had crushes easily, but he didn’t want anyone, even Marianne, expressing interest in Tonino. And that didn’t bode well for Janet, either. “That’s Tonino,” he said, somewhat bitterly, and hoped he had misunderstood her interest. “He’s the one who stayed at the castle before you started coming here.” He had to bite his tongue not to add something like,  _ and he’s my cute Italian boy, so there _ , and that made the tips of his ears burn. He hated when he got childish like this.

“Ah, so that’s Tonino!” Marianne murmured, and her expression changed so quickly that it left Cat bewildered. She grinned at him. “I understand now why you’re so fond of him. He’s so very sweet!”

Cat spluttered a bit and tried to stop the blush as it spilled across his cheeks. “O-of course he is,” Cat said. He wanted to smack himself for being ineloquent, and for not protesting her observation, but the fact was that he indeed was very fond of Tonino, and it was apparently very obvious. In fairness, Cat had never thought to hide it. It might have been the only thing most people had figured out without Cat first disclosing it.

Marianne went forward to introduce herself to Tonino. Cat could see Tonino looked a little overwhelmed already, and that made his protective side kick in. He wanted Tonino to feel comfortable. Before he could stop to think, he’d pushed past the other kids and latched onto Tonino’s arm. Tonino seemed surprised at first, but he was quick to smile. Cat did his best not to stare.

Then the fair-haired woman came over and Cat instantly felt small and self conscious. This was undoubtedly Tonino’s mother. “You must be Eric Chant,” she said warmly. She seemed very kind in the same way Millie was, which made Cat certain she must be a good mother. “I’m Elizabeth Montana. It’s so good to finally meet you! I’ve heard so much about you from my Tonino.” At this, Tonino blushed, which also made Cat blush. 

“G-good things, I hope,” Cat mumbled, and held his hand out to shake her elegant, gloved hand. Tonino blushed more brightly and tried to hide himself behind Cat. “Nice to meet you, too,” Cat added, in Italian for good measure.

“Only the best, I assure you,” Elizabeth said, eyes twinkling. “He’s talked of little else ever since Christopher stopped by with the party invitation.” Cat’s heart fluttered, and he tried to pretend his face didn’t feel like a fire had broken out across it. He glanced back toward Tonino, who was pointedly staring at the floor, then at where they had linked arms, and wondered just how much Elizabeth Montana knew. She seemed to understand more than Cat did, anyway, because she watched them and beamed with pleasure. 

Another boy who had been behind Elizabeth came out at that point, and stalked up to Cat with wide strides. Cat flinched, and genuinely worried for a second that this boy might be getting ready to throw a punch at him, but the boy simply seemed to size Cat up. “What are you doing, Paolo?” Elizabeth asked, amused. 

The boy - Tonino’s brother, Cat surmised - narrowed his eyes at Cat and said, “If you hurt Tonino, you’ll be sorry.” Cat stared at him in confusion. Elizabeth burst out laughing and tried to tell Paolo that Cat was a very powerful enchanter and to be more careful, but Tonino let go of Cat to rush over to Paolo and hurriedly say something in hushed Italian that made Paolo frown and shrug. Paolo replied in Italian, then went back to stand by his mother. Cat didn’t know what to do. 

“Forgive my son Paolo, Eric,” Elizabeth chuckled. “He is passionate, as I’m sure you can tell. He and Tonino are quite close.”

“I-I see,” Cat said. He was still rather baffled, and it didn’t help that Tonino had fallen back to grab Cat’s arm and cling to him. His brain was fixating on that, and he knew it would make conversing that much harder.

After that, Elizabeth introduced Cat to Tonino’s sister’s Lucia, Corinna and Rosa, and Rosa’s husband Marco, who was a Petrocchi. Tonino’s father Antonio had stayed behind at the Casa Montana, but Elizabeth assured Cat that he had extended a warm hello and was sorry he couldn’t be there to meet him. Cat felt very overwhelmed. But it was a good feeling, too. He was glad to have faces to the names Tonino had given him so long ago. Tonino’s family seemed like wonderful people.

“Conrad!” Elizabeth exclaimed when she caught sight of Conrad standing with Chrestomanci. She rushed across the room to throw her arms around him, causing him to stagger and nearly fall over. 

“That must be Mr. Tesdinic,” Tonino mumbled, and he looked as curious as Cat felt seeing the interaction. “My mother told me that he was a good friend of hers when she stayed here at the castle.” He started when Elizabeth exclaimed at seeing Jason, too, and hugged him next. “A-and Mr. Yeldham, too?” Tonino and Cat met one another’s gaze and laughed.

“Your mother is nice,” Cat said honestly. She reminded him of Irene, but perhaps a little more boisterous. He wondered if she had become like that because of living at the Casa Montana, or if it was just in her personality. 

“She is,” Tonino nodded, smiling. “I am glad you got to meet her.” Letting out a long breath, Tonino tightened his grip on Cat’s arm. “... It really is good to see you again, Cat. I missed you.”

Cat blushed. He finally found the courage to say what he’d never been able to in his letters. “I missed you, too.” Tonino beamed so brightly that Cat almost felt blinded.


	9. gifts exchanged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> at last, Cat finds out what Tonino wanted.

Dinner was as delicious as Cat had anticipated, and that wasn’t just because Tonino was sitting next to Cat. The ballroom certainly looked like a dining room like this, with round tables spread all across the floor to accommodate all the guests. Tonino had hesitated, glancing between the table his family had chosen and the table where Cat, Janet, Julia, Roger, Marianne, and Joe all sat. It only took an encouraging nod from his mother before Tonino hurried to sit beside Cat, which had Cat grinning with satisfaction. 

Chrestomanci used magic to project his voice around the room to give a speech before everyone started eating. Cat tried to listen, but there was still so much noise that he couldn’t really focus, and soon everyone was allowed to go to the side of the room where all of the food had been set out. After so many structured meals at the castle, self-serving felt odd and made Cat a little nervous. It was easier to feel less guilty about what food he took, though. There was no one to judge him for his choices, like the fact that he piled perhaps one too many dinner rolls onto his plate. 

The children talked amongst each other as they ate. In fact, everyone did. There was a constant stream of conversation all around the room. Cat did his best to pay attention, but he kept catching snippets of talk from the tables around them, and losing track of everything. It wasn’t long before he felt overstimulated and rather burned out. And it was only dinner! There was still the rest of the party to get through. Certainly Cat loved the atmosphere of holiday celebrations, but this was many more people in one room than he’d ever had to deal with before. He tried not to sigh as he nibbled on a dinner roll. 

At least Tonino was there. That was the silver lining. He did his best to ignore the rest of the noise and only listen to Tonino’s conversation.

Later, when most people had finished eating, half of the tables were cleared away. Oh, Cat thought as music wafted their way, so there was dancing. Behind him he heard Janet stammer out, “M-Marianne, do you… Er, would you like to dance?” 

“I’d love to!” Marianne replied. Despite his burgeoning exhaustion, Cat couldn’t help grinning. A score for Janet, then. At least all of her practicing wouldn’t have been in vain. Cat watched the two of them take off toward the designated dance floor. Beyond them, he could see Chrestomanci, Millie, and Conrad also moving to begin dancing together, and Cat wondered what it was like to stay so energized even with so much going on.

“Cat,” Tonino said shyly after a moment, “Do you dance?” 

Cat shook his head. “I’m awful at it,” he said. He’d never actually tried, but it was one of those things that he could say for certain even without trying it. 

“Thank goodness,” Tonino said, holding a hand over his heart. “I am not good at dancing, either. I did not want to embarrass myself if you were good at it.” And that made Cat blush because if he were interpreting this correctly, Tonino might have been asking him to dance. It was a happy thought. This, coupled with Tonino suddenly coming closer, had Cat feeling very warm indeed. 

He heard Tonino humming, a gentle sound that seemed to cut through all the noise. Presently, Cat found he felt more like himself, as if the fog of overstimulation was dissipating. He looked over and gave Tonino a grateful smile. “Thanks,” he murmured. 

“Oh, I did not do much,” Tonino said, smiling back. “I saw you were casting a spell to energize yourself and thought I could help.” 

“Was I doing that?” Cat said with wide eyes. “I didn’t notice. It’s…” He sighed and glanced around the busy room. “I don’t do well in big crowds. I get tired very quickly.” 

Tonino seemed to give this much thought. “Do you want to go somewhere else?” he asked. “We could get some fresh air and then come back.” 

“Do you think that’d be alright?” Cat said warily. He was already considering this option to be very tempting. Being alone with Tonino would be much better than staying in the crowded ballroom. Perhaps Chrestomanci might scold him for leaving, but it was only a party after all, not some important event that required Cat to be present.

“I do not see why not,” Tonino grinned. “And besides, how am I to sing carols for you in this noise? You will not be able to hear!” Oh. That was an excellent point. Cat was very much ready for his gift now that he was pleasantly full and feeling better. 

“Let’s go,” Cat nodded, and took Tonino’s hand without thinking.

They passed Mr. Roberts on the way out of the ballroom. He didn’t try to stop them, but the amused look he gave them made Cat blush, and the pair of them burst out laughing as they made their way down the stairs. Cat was already certain this was a good idea. Tonino’s hand was warm in his, and he was exhilarated just thinking about listening to Tonino sing. “Where should we go?” Tonino asked. “The playroom?”

Cat was in the middle of responding when they passed a window and he glimpsed the outdoors. His eyes lit up. “It’s snowing!” he exclaimed and pulled Tonino to a halt as he gazed outside. It was his favorite sort of snow, the flakes that were fluffy and large and floated through the sky heavily. Even with the sun below the horizon, the snow was illuminated by the light coming from the castle and numerous Christmas decorations littering the yard. It didn’t look very dark out, but Cat had noticed that winter nights tended to have a brightness about them, where the dark sky always looked white - especially when it snowed. He turned shining eyes to Tonino and asked, “Can we go out there?”

Tonino’s own eyes widened. “It will be cold,” he said, but he looked intrigued by the idea. 

“I’ll use magic to keep the cold off us,” Cat told him and gave Tonino’s hand a light squeeze. “Please?”

It didn’t take long for Tonino to nod, his cheeks rosy. “Outside, then,” he mumbled, and Cat beamed as he led the way down. He made sure the spell was firmly in place before they went out. To his pleasure, there was no noticeable change in temperature, and Tonino looked surprised but happy by this. Their shoes crunched in the snow, and Tonino took a few steps forward, holding his hands out to catch some of the fluffy snowflakes. They melted quite fast when they touched his skin, and he laughed. “I did not know it snowed like this in England,” Tonino said. 

“It doesn’t usually,” Cat said, watching Tonino attentively. He looked so cute standing in the snow in his holiday suit. It took a little effort to remind himself to explain, “The snow’s usually too light to pile up. But I think Chrestomanci must do something about it because ever since I came to live here, it snows like this for almost the whole season.” 

“How wonderful,” Tonino said with a fascinated laugh. “It must be nice to have such powerful magic.”

Cat shrugged and looked up at the white sky. “Maybe. But I bet he can’t carry a tune half as well as you.”

“Flattery…” Tonino mumbled, but he looked happy to hear Cat say so. “Speaking of that, did you decide which songs you wanted me to sing?”

“Ah,” Cat said. He actually hadn’t. He’d had the few days since Tonino’s letter before the party to think about it, and he hadn’t been able to make up his mind. Tonino seemed to have anticipated this, though, and let out a tinkling little laugh that made Cat’s face feel very warm.

“If you do not have a preference,” Tonino said, returning to Cat’s side, “may I choose? If you do not mind my singing in Latin, that is.” 

Cat hurriedly shook his head. “Sing in whatever language is most comfortable for you,” he encouraged. Language mattered little to Cat, anyway. All he cared about was listening to Tonino’s voice.

First, Tonino did some warmups, humming and vocalizing to make sure he was fit for caroling. That was pleasant enough, so when Tonino actually began singing a song, Cat felt completely blissful in an instant. Tonino sounded… well, perfect. His voice was just the right amount of soft that displayed how much control he had over it. He didn’t waver or sound breathless, and his crescendos were seamless. Cat thought he would close his eyes while he listened, but he found himself mesmerised by Tonino’s expression while he sang. He was the picture of an angel, so pure and sweet. Cat couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

For some time, he listened and watched. He wasn’t sure how many songs Tonino sang because Tonino somehow managed to make them all feel like one continuous, beautiful and elegant song. It was almost a religious experience. Cat thought there might have been hearts in his eyes when Tonino finished. He burst out clapping, which gave Tonino a start. Tonino blushed and bowed.

“Your voice is amazing,” Cat said earnestly. “I’ve never heard anything so beautiful in my life.”

“S-surely you exaggerate,” Tonino stuttered and his face flushed a color that was almost identical to the red on his jacket.

“Not at all,” Cat began to say, but he was interrupted by a frantic crunching of snow. He recognized that flurry of footfall. He braced himself for impact. But it never came. Instead, he watched in shock as Klartch barreled Tonino over, knocking him face first into the snow.

“T-Tonino!” Cat gasped and fell to his knees to yank Klartch off of the sputtering boy. “Klartch, you have to be more careful! You could have seriously hurt him! You’re too big to do this anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Cat,” Klartch said sadly. “But I heard such a pretty voice that I had to come see for myself!” He looked at Tonino with wide, curious eyes. “You look like a normal human. Why is your voice so pretty?”

Tonino didn’t answer right away, busily staring at Klartch with unabashed awe. “Cat, it is a griffin!” Tonino murmured.

“Of course I am!” Klartch declared and thrust his beak into the air in a proud manner. “I am Klartch, in case you were wondering.”

Cat sighed, shook his head, and helped Tonino back to his feet. “He gets a bit carried away, sorry about that. Doesn’t know his own strength,” Cat explained sheepishly. “If it helps, I wrote about him in one of my letters to you a while ago.”

“Ah, I remember now!” Tonino exclaimed. His eyes sparkled as he held out a hand to Klartch. Klartch made a happy sound and, not sure what else to do, nuzzled his beak against Tonino’s palm. “It is so nice to finally meet you, Klartch. I am Tonino Montana. I come from a renowned spell-house in Italy that uses songs for our magic.”

“So that is why your voice is so pretty.” Klartch asked curiously, “What is Italy? Is that where people speak Italian?”

“Italy is the country where I was born,” Tonino answered, laughing. “And yes, we do speak Italian there.”

“Then you must have practiced English,” Klartch said, looking thoughtful. “Like how Cat practiced Italian! Cat, did you show Tonino Montana your Italian? He practiced so much! He kicked me out of his room to keep practicing, too.”

“Klartch!” Cat said futilely, and blushed.

“Did he?” Tonino laughed again, looking at Cat with amusement and fondness. Cat groaned, hiding his face in his hands. “I am sorry he did that to you. But I am also happy to know that he put in so much effort to learn my mother tongue.” 

“Klartch,” Cat said, desperate to change the subject, “Why don’t you go inside now? You might be able to eat some of the leftover food. Or join the dancing. I’m sure you’d be good at it.”

“Food! And dancing!” Klartch echoed, and dashed in a little excited circle around both boys. “It was too cold out here, anyway. I will go in! Don’t stay out in the cold for too long, though, Cat. Humans do not have fur or feathers to keep them warm.”

“I know,” Cat couldn’t help laughing. “We’ll come back to the party soon. See you there, Klartch.”

“It was nice to meet you Tonino Montana!” Klartch said. Then he took off inside, evidently ready to cause unwitting mischief. Cat hoped Chrestomanci wouldn’t be upset at him for telling Klartch to join the party. It didn’t seem fair to leave him out, even if he did have a habit of bringing destruction with him. 

“What a lovely creature,” Tonino said, beaming. “I had no idea griffins could talk.” 

Cat grinned back ruefully. “He’s a handful, but that’s part of what makes him so lovable I guess. I am sorry he bowled you over like that, though. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“Oh no, not at all!” Tonino laughed. “I was just surprised, that is all. And thankful he did not do that while I was singing. I might have sung some very poor notes.” Cat laughed, too. He was definitely glad Klartch had waited until Tonino had finished. 

“If he had managed to harm you,” came a new, amused voice, “I would have offered to heal you, considering I was the one keeping an eye on him.” Cat looked up to find Molly had noiselessly trotted up to join them. Tonino looked more amazed than when he’d first seen Klartch, which was rather adorable. 

“Even so,” Cat said, laughing, “everyone knows there’s no stopping Klartch when he sets his mind on something. And you don’t even have hands to grab him with, so there’s no point in blaming you.” He reached up and gently ran his fingers through her mane, which she indulged by lowering her head for easier reach. “Good to see you, Molly,” Cat told her with a smile.

“And you, as well,” the unicorn said. She tilted her head to glance at the gawking Tonino, who started when he realized he had her attention. “Tonino Montana, was it? I hope you’ll forgive my eavesdropping, but Klartch was correct. You have quite a lovely voice.”

“Th-thank you,” Tonino managed to get out. He was pink-faced with delight and astonishment. He looked to Cat and asked in a hushed tone, “Is this the unicorn you wrote about, as well? She is even more incredible in person!”

“I’m flattered you think so,” Molly laughed again, and held her head down for Tonino to reach trembling fingers up to pet her. He smiled shyly. “It would seem your magic is a good match for Cat’s dwimmer. Perhaps that is why the two of you create such a harmonious feeling.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Cat asked, giving Molly a bewildered look. 

“Just theorizing, that’s all,” the unicorn replied. Her eyes glittered like the falling snow. “Forgive the intrusion. It seemed like you were about to return to the party.”

“Will you be joining the party, too?” Tonino inquired.

Molly shook her head. “No, I prefer to remain out here. The cold does not bother a being such as myself. Enjoy the rest of your evening, children.” She affectionately touched the tip of her horn to Cat’s shoulder, then Tonino’s, before trotting away soundlessly across the snow. Tonino watched her go with wide eyes.

Cat let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. It was a little tiresome, dealing with Molly sometimes. She did the same thing Chrestomanci did when he knew something you didn’t but wouldn’t tell you what it was. Still, it had been nice to see her again, and Cat was glad Tonino got the chance to see her too.

Tonino broke into a grin and said, “You have such amazing friends, Cat! An energetic griffin, and a beautiful unicorn… Your magic is a truly wonderful thing.”

Cat stiffened and felt himself blush again. It was difficult not to get overwhelmed when he was praised. “It-it’s not any more special than yours. A-Anyway, thank you again for singing for me,” he said and reached out to brush snow from the collar of Tonino’s jacket. “It was the best present I’ve ever been given.”

Tonino stopped smiling and blushed brightly. He glanced down at Cat’s hand. Oh. Cat had done that without thinking. He hadn’t made Tonino uncomfortable, had he? He pulled his hand back, but didn’t miss how Tonino’s eyes followed him. Taking a deep breath, Cat said, “N-now that you’ve given me my gift, don’t you think you should tell me what it is you want?”

This seemed to fluster Tonino greatly. He averted his eyes and looked down at the snow, swallowing hard. Cat frowned, concerned. Was it that difficult of a thing to ask for? He hoped he hadn’t given Tonino the impression that he was likely to say no to whatever it was that Tonino wanted. Tonino stayed quiet for a long time, fiddling with the sleeves of his jacket and wearing a nervous, shy expression. He looked like it was taking all of his energy not to run away, and that filled Cat with guilt. He wanted Tonino to feel like he could tell Cat what was on his mind. 

“If you’re worried about inconveniencing me-” Cat started to say, but Tonino shook his head no. “Then what is it? What’s wrong?” 

Tonino swallowed again and looked frustrated with himself. “I-I am sorry,” he mumbled. “It is… difficult to find the words.” Cat was thoroughly baffled now. What could be so difficult to ask for? At length, Tonino took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, letting out a little puff of hot air. “You are certain that my request will not bother you?” Tonino asked softly. 

“Absolutely,” Cat said, and fervently nodded.

With another deep breath, Tonino met his eyes. “You see,” he said, “I was hoping… that…” He trailed off and finished in Italian that Cat couldn’t hope to understand.

Cat sighed. “I know Klartch said I’ve been practicing, but I really only learned basic things like how to greet people.”

Tonino looked more flustered than ever and crunched his shoes on the snow as he rocked forward a bit. “I-I know. I simply got too embarrassed to say it in English.” Cat gave him a put out look. “I am sorry! L-let me try it again.” With apparently even more effort, he went on quietly and in hurried words, “I think I might have feelings for you and I wondered if you might be willing to give me my first k-kiss.”

Cat’s brain went blank. He stared at Tonino and felt his eyes go at least as wide as Chrestomanci’s had been when Conrad showed up unannounced at his study. “... What?” Cat said stupidly. 

Tonino looked vaguely mortified. “It is a silly and selfish thought, I know,” Tonino hastily told him. “You are so much more accomplished… that is, you are much better than me. I just-” 

By then, Cat finally caught up and processed what Tonino had said. That Tonino had feelings for him. That Tonino wanted to kiss him. This was so relieving and such an easy thing to give Tonino that he felt bad about how much effort it had taken Tonino to ask for it. Though, he could understand now why it had been difficult to write in a letter. But Tonino clearly didn’t know about Cat’s own feelings. How would he, when Cat struggled to ever talk about them? To be fair, he hadn’t actually figured out what his feelings were until the weeks leading up to the party, but that was still plenty of time to reach the conclusion that kissing Tonino was something he very much wanted, as well. 

And if that was what Tonino wanted for his Christmas gift, who was Cat to deny him? 

Really, the only issue was that Cat had no idea how to kiss. He wasn’t anywhere near as avid a reader as Tonino, but he rather wished he was so that he could at least have book descriptions to draw from. He didn’t really know what he was supposed to do. Surely kissing couldn’t be too difficult, right? All you had to do was put your lips on someone else’s. He tried to mimic how Chrestomanci had kissed Conrad in the study; holding Tonino by the arm, pulling him in to briefly press their lips together. It was more of an awkward bump than a kiss. Cat frowned, considered how he could improve it, then tried again. 

This time he tilted his head so his nose wouldn’t hit Tonino’s, and puckered his lips a little so that his teeth wouldn’t end up in it. Tonino had gone rigid. His eyes were wide with shock, and his cheeks were a vibrant red that Cat found very cute. Kissing was nice, he thought. Particularly with the snow falling around them and the winter chill tickling his skin. It helped him feel a little less overheated when he drew back and stared at Tonino in a daze. Tonino stared back.

“You kissed me,” Tonino said, stunned. 

Cat suppressed a laugh and grinned. “Merry Christmas, Tonino,” he said. 

“D-does that mean you feel the same way?” Tonino asked. His expression quickly morphed to sheer delight when Cat nodded, and he threw himself at Cat with enough force to nearly topple him. Cat grunted and held Tonino in his arms, trying to balance them both so they wouldn’t wind up with a face full of snow. “I am so happy, Cat! Thank you! This is the best gift in the whole world!” He hugged Cat so tightly that Cat couldn’t breathe. But Cat didn’t care. He was indescribably happy, too. He hadn’t thought there could possibly be anything better than hearing Tonino sing, and was much obliged to be proven wrong. 

Then Tonino shivered and laughed, “It is so cold out here!” Oh. Cat must have accidentally forgotten to keep the spell on them to keep the cold away. He shivered, as well. “Let us go back inside,” Tonino said, releasing Cat to take his hand instead. 

Fair, Cat thought. He leaned in and kissed Tonino one more time just because he could. Tonino laughed and pressed himself against Cat for warmth. “... A little bit longer?” Cat asked, putting up the spell again. 

Tonino smiled dazzlingly. “Okay. Just a little.”

That worked for Cat.


	10. the end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little denouement.  
> (thanks for reading)

When they finally went back to the ballroom, Cat was warm inside and out. He was pleased to see Klartch hadn’t managed to destroy anything since arriving. In fact, he seemed to be attempting to learn to dance with Irene, who looked like she was having the time of her life. 

C at spotted Marianne and Janet toward the far edge of the room, both blushing and holding hands and whispering to each other. Cat wondered if Janet had been as lucky as he had when it came to Christmas gifts. He hoped so. 

Chrestomanci and his spouses were still dancing slowly together, and looked like it would be impossible to get them to part. Others had joined the dancing, as well. Mr. Roberts and Miss Rosalie were holding each other and swaying, and so were Tonino’s sister Rosa and her husband Marco. 

This sort of dancing didn’t look too hard to do. He wondered briefly if he should ask Tonino to dance, until Tonino dragged him over to the table where treats and warm drinks had been set out. Tonino was much enthused by the intricate details of the iced sugar cookies. The baker must have perfected his design, Cat thought, because these cookies almost looked too pretty to eat. They both took as many as they could carry and went to sit down again, but not without dragging their chairs closer so that they could lean against each other. They sat, eating cookies and talking about anything at all. This, in Cat’s opinion, was much better than dancing. 


End file.
